Soojin couldn’t help but wonder if her cat’s daily visits to the stranger meant they had a long-standing connection. The woman’s affectionate demeanor towards Jinson sparked a mix of curiosity and a playful twinge of jealousy. After all, wasn’t Soojin enough for her feline friend’s attention?

As Soojin resumed the footage, she watched closely, her curiosity piqued. To her surprise, the stranger didn’t pick Jinson up but instead welcomed him inside her home. The camera, mounted on Jinson’s collar, offered a unique perspective as it captured the interior. Soojin could mostly see a wooden-tiled floor from ground level, but it was clear that the design of the stranger’s home was modern.

Jinson followed the stranger’s feet as they ventured deeper into the house, and it appeared that they were heading toward the kitchen.

As Jinson and the stranger made their way to the kitchen, Soojin’s curiosity deepened. Her eyes were fixed on the footage as the cat faced a bowl, and she couldn’t quite distinguish if it was meant for cats or dogs. Doubts began to creep in. “Why the hell does he have his own bowl there? Am I not feeding him enough?” she thought, feeling a surge of annoyance at the unfolding situation.

Minutes later, as Jinson continued to roam around the kitchen, Soojin’s question was answered. The footage revealed two food bowls, and she observed two dogs—one brown and the other with charcoal grayish fur. Relief washed over her as she realized that the earlier food bowls were likely intended for the dogs. Her annoyance gave way to a sense of understanding, and she settled back into watching the unfolding events with a more relaxed curiosity.

As Soojin continued to watch the video, she spent nearly two hours enjoying the playful interactions between Jinson and the two dogs. Their adorable antics brought a smile to her face, and she chuckled when she noticed Jinson’s pickiness about the food in the bowl. Some things about her cat never changed.

She expected the rest of the video to be more of the same until something caught her eye. Jinson began to head in a different direction, specifically to the left side of the frame. The footage revealed a cozy-looking sofa, leading Soojin to believe that this was the woman’s living room. She couldn’t help but watch closely.

The camera captured the woman, although only her feet and legs were visible in the frame. Soojin’s ears perked up as she listened to the woman’s voice.

“Jojooo big boyyyy, did you eat along with Haku and Mata? Or you picked fights again?” The woman’s affectionate words tugged at Soojin’s heartstrings.

Soojin found the woman irresistibly cute just by hearing her voice. The woman’s endearing and affectionate tone, much like Soojin’s when she spoke to Jinson, hinted at a deep adoration for the cat. It was a shared language of love that transcended the boundaries of species.

Jinson hopped onto the sofa, settling into the woman’s lap, and the camera revealed the woman’s half body, though not her head. Soojin’s curiosity deepened as she recognized the dress the woman was wearing—a dress she had seen on an online shop she frequently used.

Jinson settled comfortably on the woman’s lap, facing the side of the sofa, which explained the limited view of the sofa’s side in the footage. They remained in that position for about 30 minutes, during which the woman’s gentle petting seemed to bring contentment to Jinson. Soojin noticed the subtle, rhythmic movement of Jinson’s head as he enjoyed the affectionate gestures the woman was giving him.

Soojin decided it was late and opted to continue watching the footage the following day. She wanted to ensure her sleep schedule remained intact for work.

The next morning, she woke up with Jinson perched on her chest, as was their daily ritual. He never failed to rouse her for breakfast, ensuring she couldn’t linger in bed.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!”

With a hearty yawn and a stretch, Soojin playfully startled her feline companion, who jumped in surprise at the loud sound. Her habit of screaming during her morning stretch always made Jinson react this way, and it never failed to amuse her.

After tending to breakfast for herself and Jinson, Soojin settled into her living room with her laptop in hand. She took a seat on her tiny sofa and resumed watching the footage from Jinson’s escapades the previous day, eager to uncover more of her furry companion’s shenanigans.

As Soojin continued skimming through the footage, she was now just an hour and a half away from completing it, with nothing particularly interesting having happened yet. She paused her skimming when she noticed a sudden movement from the woman in the video.

The woman gently lifted Jinson up, cradling him in her arms like a baby. Both of her hands cupped the cat’s furry face, and the footage offered a front-angle view of the woman as Jinson now faced her. It was at this moment that Soojin felt a touch of nervousness. The unfamiliar face on the screen left her with a sense of intrigue and curiosity.

“Jojo, why are you so chubby?! I’m gonna pinch you, you are so cute you can’t stop me!” the woman exclaimed, her high-toned voice was filled with affection.

Soojin couldn’t help but wonder, ‘Why is this woman calling my cat “Jojo”?’ Her curiosity only deepened as she continued watching.

…and why is she so gorgeous?

Soojin found herself mesmerized by the woman on the screen. Every aspect of the woman’s facial features was perfect. She had fair skin that glowed with a natural radiance, framed by a curtain of long, jet-black hair that cascaded down her shoulders. Her monolid eyes exuded sweetness, and her nose and lips were flawlessly proportioned, enhancing her overall beauty. To top it off, a pair of twin moles under her left eye added a unique charm to her face, making her truly captivating in Soojin’s eyes.

Overwhelmed by the beauty of the woman on the screen, Soojin hastily closed her laptop. She couldn’t help but wonder how her cat got to witness such captivating beauty every day. It left her feeling both intrigued and slightly intimidated by the thought that her cat’s secret visits were associated with someone so strikingly beautiful.

Soojin couldn’t resist reopening her laptop, and the woman’s face reappeared on the screen, making her feel both nervous and intrigued. The woman’s image continued to captivate her, even as she watched the footage.

As the woman lovingly lifted Jinson, she spoke affectionately, “Your owner must really love you, look at your belly, full of love.”

“I bet your owner was a single, old lady who chose the cat life.” and the woman chuckled at her own thought.

Well, that was unexpected.

Soojin’s eyebrows furrowed in disbelief. What? She muttered to herself, utterly taken aback by the woman’s assumption. It was clear that the woman’s perception of her was completely off the mark, and Soojin was left baffled by the mistaken notion.

She couldn’t deny the woman’s stunning beauty, but her sudden assumption, as perceived through the video, seemed to carry a hint of arrogance or confidence that, well, intrigued Soojin— a little bit.

Two weeks had passed since Soojin had first glimpsed into her cat’s secret escapades. The routine remained unchanged – she would attach a camera to Jinson’s collar and watch the footage in the middle of the night. She had noticed that Jinson wasn’t visiting the woman as frequently anymore, maybe three times a week or whenever he pleased.

A week had gone by without any visits from Jinson to the woman, and Soojin began to lose hope of seeing her again. She had found herself looking forward to glimpsing the enigmatic woman through the footage, but now, she’d given up. At the very least, she wished she knew the woman’s name.

Then, a memory resurfaced. She recalled a conversation she’d overheard in the footage, a moment when the woman wasn’t speaking to her cat. Soojin felt a pang of guilt for invading the woman’s privacy but couldn’t resist listening.

“Yes?” The woman answered.

“Yah! Shuhua-yah! How are you feeling?” A deep-voiced woman on the phone almost shouted, sounding concerned, like a worried mother. Could this be the woman’s mother?

And then it happened – the revelation. Was “Shuhua” the woman’s name?

“I’m alright, Yuqi. Promise.” Shuhua reassured the voice on the other end.

“Please, Shuhua. Zhàogù hǎo nǐ zìjǐ. Wǒ xūyào nǐ pèihé, yǒngyuǎn jìdé hē yào. Yīshēng shuō nǐ fúyào liù gè yuè hòu yǒu jīhuì kāngfù. Qǐng jiānchí zhù. Don’t be stubborn, Shu. I love you.” the deep-voiced woman implored.

Soojin couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt for eavesdropping on such a personal conversation. As Shuhua sighed and responded in a mixture of determination and resignation, "Wǒ zhīdào yào zuò shénme. I love you too, Qi. Take care." Soojin knew she had crossed a line. She now had a name to associate with the woman she had grown curious about, but she couldn't shake the feeling that she had invaded Shuhua's privacy.

She made the firm decision to cease attaching a camera to her cat’s collar. The deeply personal conversation she had unwittingly overheard had stirred up a profound sense of guilt within her. She realized it was time to respect the privacy of her cat’s things and put an end to her surveillance, allowing the woman and Jinson their privacy once more.

However, one thing became clear about this memory– “Shuhua” was the woman’s name.

Soojin had made the conscious decision to stop surveilling her cat with the camera, letting Jinson have his freedom without the constant surveillance. However, she couldn’t shake her curiosity about whether he still visited Shuhua and how she was doing. The conversation she had overheard still bothered her, but she chose to push it aside.

One sunny Sunday morning, on her day off, Soojin decided to take Jinson for a walk with a leash. It had been a while since their last walk, and the pleasant weather seemed like the perfect opportunity. Soojin donned her attire for the occasion, wearing black leggings, a comfortable black v-neck t-shirt, and a pair of well-worn rubber shoes.

With Jinson on the leash, they ventured outside. Soojin was grateful that her cat wasn’t afraid of the outside world and enjoyed the adventures. They strolled along, enjoying the day until, out of nowhere, Jinson suddenly bolted towards someone, causing the leash to slip from Soojin’s hand.

“Jinson! Wait!” Soojin called out in surprise.

She soon realized that her cat was far more adventurous and energetic than she had initially thought. She panted as she hurriedly chased after him, realizing that she wasn’t exactly cut out for athletic pursuits.

“Damn it. Is he a cat or a dog in a cat form?!” Soojin frustratedly exclaimed.

She pushed herself to walk faster, trying to catch up to her furry escape artist. She finally came to a halt and looked at the scene, which was about two meters away from her.

“Jojo!!! I haven’t seen you for so long!” a voice exclaimed, causing everything to freeze. Soojin’s heart raced as she slowly turned away from the scene, her eyes filled with anticipation.

Holy, is it her?